


Family Matters

by sightandsound3733



Series: Guns For Hire AU [4]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Guns For Hire AU, Mercenaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 14:10:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2510534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sightandsound3733/pseuds/sightandsound3733
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wash has known the other mercenaries for years, worked with them and become their friend. But it's only since moving into the base with the group of them that he really starts to know them. And the other friends that they keep. </p><p>Alternatively titled as 'The Introduction of the Ai Family'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t often that they collectively seemed to have a day off. There were always jobs and assignments and recon work to be done. Sometimes it felt like they only even saw each other in passing through the base or when paired up on jobs. But every once in a while, they all managed to find themselves free, and those were some of the best days.

Everyone left the gear off and the weapons were, well not put away, but at least they weren't armed to the nines, most kept it down to simple knives and things. It was one of the few times that they actually all felt like they could relax and just be with each other.

Wash absolutely loved the few days off they all managed to snag.

He was currently laughing on the couch, leaning up against the collections of pillows he’d scrounged together in the common area, watching North, York, South, and CT battle it out in a poker game. South had taken to trying to distract North by attempting to fluster him with dirty little innuendos. North was managing to deflect each and every one with a mild comment and a small smile.

York and Connie were locked in a staring contest over the mound of chips at the center of the table, both trying to call each other’s bluff and both getting nowhere so far. Wash knew that as long as York didn’t try to talk his way out of the bluff he’d be fine, but Connie was determined and she hated to lose so he really didn’t have much faith in the Thief.

They’d been content to sit and let this be the summation of their day and probably would have been more than content to let that continue had there not been the sharp bang of a door opening on the other side of the room to shatter their little bubble.

Wash sat up, twisting around to glance over the couch, instincts on high alert as his hand immediately goes to the knife strapped to his thigh. Almost as instantly as the reflex kicked in it was clearly apparent that he wouldn’t be needing to use it.

Their intruder was a small blond boy, who couldn’t be any older than ten or eleven. He was running into the room, grinning widely, clearly familiar with the place. The kid carried a beat up looking skateboard under one arm and an equally battered helmet in one hand.

“North!”

Wash blinked in surprise as North’s face broke out in the brightest grin, the kind of smile that just made everything about him light up and scream happiness. The sniper threw down the cards in his hand to the sudden tune of South’s laughter and wasted no time in going to meet the kid, scooping him up in his arms for a hug.

The skateboard and helmet dropped to the ground with a loud clatter, but the noise was quickly overrun by the peals of laughter coming from the boy.

“Uh…?” Why was no one else concerned that there was a child in the base? Or that North apparently knew said child? Wash blinked again, confusion settling over him. Connie was watching the scene with a small, fond smile, South was grinning madly and York had started laughing as North set the kid down.

“Theta! What are you doing here?” North asked, dropping to one knee to get on the kid’s level. Wash resettled himself on the couch so he could watch the interesting development, mind racing to try and place who the hell this kid was. The kid, Theta, just smiled wider.

“We decided to come by for a visit!” Theta had his hands resting on North’s broad shoulders, his messy hair flopping into his eyes as he beamed. “It’s been a long time and you've been so busy! I missed you!”

Wash had been under the force of many of North’s different gazes and smiles but he had never seen the one he was shooting toward Theta now. It was a whole new kind of soft and tender, something about it seeming to melt away the layers of North’s personality that he used to keep himself together in the field, leaving behind what seemed like a new person.

“I missed you too, buddy.” North chuckled softly, pulling Theta in for another hug that the kid returned enthusiastically. South shook her head with a smile, something just as soft and fond as the one North wore, pushing away from the table now to go walk over toward them.

“And what about me, Pipsqueak? Don’t I get a hello?” She ran a hand through her hair, recently died a deep purple at the ends. Theta giggled into North’s neck before break the hug to go throw his skinny body at South. She caught him with a laugh of her own, pulling him into a hug as well, dropping a kiss to the kid’s forehead. North watched with a fond smile and soft eyes.

Wash was really fucking confused.

“What is happening?” He muttered, looking toward Connie, hoping for an explanation. York chuckled at him, gathering up the cards and starting to clean up. Connie rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” She shrugged, arching her back in a stretch, getting up to join him on the couch, choosing to settle herself more in Wash’s lap then on the actually couch itself. He let it happen, not that he had much of a choice. “That’s Theta. He’s North and South’s.”

“He’s their…what exactly?”

“Nothing. He’s just theirs.” Connie shrugged, pulling herself up in his lap to look over the back of the couch. “Hey Theta. It’s been awhile, bud.”

“Hi Connie!” Theta waved happily at her, smiling wide enough now that Wash could see a gap in the line of his teeth. South ruffled his hair before letting him go, and Theta bounded over to the couch with no hesitation.

Now that he was closer Wash could pick out the faint dusting of freckles across his skin, the bright pink of his rosy cheeks and the really startlingly vibrant fuschia of his eyes. Wash blinked in surprise, but also couldn’t help but find himself smiling back as Theta drew closer.

He was a really fucking cute kid.

“I wanted to come by sooner but Delta doesn’t like it when we’re all scattered. He wants to try and keep track of everyone, not that it works.” Theta shrugged. North was laughing softly behind him, scooping up the skateboard and helmet without pause, as if it was a natural reaction. Connie laughed at Theta as well, resting her chin on top of her arms over the back of the couch.

Wash shifted a bit under her, trying to make the whole situation settle so her knees weren’t about to sink into his crotch. The movement was enough to draw the attention of those almost disturbingly vibrant eyes to him. Theta blinked in surprise, eyes wide but he was still grinning.

“Hi!”

“Hi there,” Wash smiled at him. South nudged North gently, not that his attention wasn’t already centered on where the two blond’s were now interacting. “I’m Wash, it’s nice to meet you, Theta.”

“You’re new here right? At the base? I haven’t met you before.” Theta seemed to be studying him, glancing over his shoulder to look at the twins for confirmation. South chuckled.

“Wash has worked with us for awhile bud, gotten us out of a couple of rough spots, but yeah he’s only moved in here in the last couple of months. We’ve told you about him before, Pipsqueak” Theta’s eyes went wider and he focused back in on Wash with a new sort of curiosity.

“You’re Recovery!”

Wash blinked in surprise. “Uh… yeah, I am. How did…?” His question was immediately cut off as Theta jumped forward to wrap his arms around him in a tight hug. Wash froze under the sudden contact, not exactly sure what warranted it.

“Thank you.” Theta muttered into Wash’s neck, voice just at a whisper. “For helping them. They get in trouble a lot and I can’t help, so thanks.” Wash’s eyes widened, and he let them flicker to meet North and South’s. The Dakota’s had gone all soft and fond again, watching the kid with identical smiles and Wash found himself smiling back, one arm wrapping around Theta’s thin shoulders.

“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.” Theta merely nodded into his neck, seeming to squeeze tighter before releasing Wash completely. His smile was a bright as ever and Wash felt like laughing. What the hell was with this kid and his ability to like radiate sunshine?

York stood, leaning over to mess with Theta’s hair, grinning down at the kid. “Who’d you come with, Theta?” York leaned over the edge of the couch, making room so North could scoot by to leave Theta’s things on the table with the abandoned cards.

“Delta, Sigma and the twins.” Theta, reached up to brush his messy hair out of his eyes. “They were right behind me…” His smile went a bit sheepish. “I… kinda ran ahead.”

“Delta’s gonna kill you.” Connie singsonged with a laugh, falling back down on to Wash. He caught her with a simple arm around her waist, smiling. He’d ask for explanations later, right now he was kind of content to let Theta’s sunshine just wash over them all.

“Quite an apt description.” A new voice joined the room, significantly deeper and older than Theta’s. Wash glanced up again at the sound of soft footsteps, easily placing the owner of them to the tall, poised young man that was walking in now.

He had long dark hair, pulled neatly back away from his pale face in a ponytail. His features were almost carefully sculpted, with high cheekbones and carefully rounded lips, which currently seemed to be set in a wry smile. He had a pair of thin rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and from behind them shone a pair of bright green eyes. They were every bit as startling as Theta’s had been, though perhaps not as startling as the fact that this young man had a small, sleepy child cradled on his hip as he walked.

“Hey D.” York grinned at the young man. Theta turned his sheepish smile onto the dark haired boy.

“There you are Delta!” Theta tried to subtly back up until he had strategically positioned himself between North and South. “Was uh… was wondering where you’d gone.” South snorted, North smiled, laying one hand on Theta’s shoulder.

“Don’t start with me Theta.” Delta warned, his eyes narrowing over his glasses at the younger boy, who flinched a bit under the clear reprimand. He did not raise his voice, even if the sternness was clear, and it was not enough to rouse the child in his arms. “You promised you wouldn’t run ahead and that you’d stay with me.”

“D, you’re the one who doesn’t need to start.” Yet another voice joined them, this one with the distinct hint of a sneer to it. This too was a young man with features that matched Delta’s vaguely, in the curve of his jaw and the shape of his eyes, which were a dark, deep red. His hair, dark as night was cropped short, and he too carried a child on his hip. “Theta is not a baby, and he’s not the one we need to watch like a hawk.”

“Yes because ten is practically an adult, Sigma.” Delta shot back with a roll of his eyes. Sigma either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He walked swiftly past Delta, seeming to gently rouse the child in his arms. Delta’s frown went sharper. “What are you doing? Leave Iota alone, don’t wake him! Sigma, he just got settled, you know he's not feeling well.”

“I have business to attend to.” Sigma said simply, his voice soft as the child, Iota, a young boy with a curly shock of auburn hair and wide golden eyes blinked up at him. “Business that does not involve my kid brother.”

“That doesn’t mean you needed to wake him up.” Delta said with a sigh, shaking his head. York chuckled softly, stepping up in a move that surprised Wash, and held out his arms for the little boy.

“Easy, D. I’ll take him.” Iota seemed to have no problems being passed from one set of hands to another, easily curling into York's arms sleepily. “Though whatever business you think you have Sig, I can almost tell you it’s a waste of time.”

Sigma’s lips twisted into a smirk and his eyes seemed to flash. “Oh really? And what would make you say that York? You’d rather I attend to my business with you instead?” Wash blinked in surprise at the lowered, nearly sultry tone that had dropped into play out of nowhere. Connie was trying to stifle giggles, turning her face into Wash’s shoulder.

“Yeah, no.” York shook his head firmly, rolling his eyes, shifting Iota in his arms as the child clung to him with a soft whine. “Go, off with you, have fun on your pointless little adventure.” Sigma winked at York before laughing softly, brushing past him and heading off down one of the halls that branched off away from the common area, clearly familiar with the place. Wash blinked after him.

“What?”

“Sigma is weird.” Theta rolled his eyes, looking up at North who was trying not to look incredibly amused by the way he was biting down on his lower lip. South was outright grinning, leaning back to rest her weight against the edge of the table. Connie had calmed down a bit, and Wash was still confused.

“I’m not even going to say it.” Delta gave a heavy sigh, which finally seemed to be enough to wake the child he had cradled to his hip. This one was a little girl, with the same curly hair as Iota and it was clear to see from one look at her that they were indeed twins. The only difference Wash could clearly pick out from their faces was that her eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, almost a cerulean, like the darker part of Carolina’s gear, unlike her brother’s gold.

“D?” She asked in a quiet voice. Delta turned his full attention to the little girl. York smoothly moved closer toward the young man as Iota stirred at his sister’s voice.

“Yes Eta?” Delta asked gently, brushing away one of her curls. “What is it, dear?” It occurred to Wash that Delta was treated her very much like a young father would a child, but Delta himself was far too young to have children. At least… Wash hoped that was the case.

“We can see, ‘Lina?” She pouted already full lips at Delta, prompting a small smile from the boy. York laughed as Iota perked up a bit as well.

“I think she might be busy, darling.” Delta soothed. Eta pouted some more, her lower lip starting to waver. Delta didn’t panic though, merely held her gaze calmly. South smiled, clearing her throat to get their attention.

“I can go get her D.” South nudged Theta gently with her hip, slipping past him and North to go, tug playfully at one of Iota’s curls, getting a small giggle out of the little boy. “She was up doing some training, should be finished by now. And even if she's not, you know she'd take a break for them.”

“Thank you South.” Delta’s voice was soft, grateful, and again Wash could see the parallels to a young parent. It did nothing to ease his confusion about exactly what was happening around them. Eta and Iota seemed pleased to hear this though and they were all smiles, and happy squirming to get down and play.

Delta sighed again tiredly, bending down to let Eta go, York doing the same with Iota a moment later. Theta seemed to sense the exhaustion that was clearly crawling over the older boy, because he was quick to take North’s hand and pull him into taking care of keeping the twins occupied.

“D, you okay?” York asked, slipping a hand to Delta’s shoulder in a comfortable, familiar manner. Delta waited a moment, watching the younger children settled around North on the floor a bit of a way from them.  

“No, not at all.” Delta’s response was so soft. Wash frowned, sitting up a bit and he felt Connie tense in his lap. York frowned deeply, clearly concerned. He glanced toward the couch and then gently lead Delta away, speaking to him in a low tone that was too soft for Wash to catch what was happening.

“Okay, explain.” Wash turned his eyes on Connie expectantly. She rolled her eyes at him, but she smiled, shifting off his lap so she could face him in full.

“North and South got hired to run a job a couple years back that involved the taking down of this wannabe drug lord. Apparently this guy was trying to get a foothold in some of the local areas and turned out to have the backing of the old boss of the mob. It got pretty messy and the fighting sort of branched out a bit more than either of them would like and it took them into a park around town. And South was taking this guy down, and one of his idiots was firing off haphazardly out in the open and North dove out to stop it from hitting this kid who had been too close. North got hit and he went down pretty hard, but South took care of the assholes causing the trouble. The kid who North had saved stayed by him, talking to him while South was busy cleaning up and they all got a little attached to each other. Take a guess who the kid was.”  
  
“Theta?” Wash looked over to where the blond boy was laughing, as one of the twins seemed to try to tackle North. North was laughing too, scooping the twin, Iota he thinks from this distance it was hard to tell exactly, into his arms and tickling him.

“He kinda grows on you.” Connie was watching them too, smiling. “He’s a sweet kid, and he’s got a spark to him that makes him incredibly easy to have around. North and South both kind of just unofficially made him theirs. Which you know, meant getting to know his family too. He’s just a kid. Delta brings Theta around so the Dakotas can see him often enough.” A small frown wilts her smile. “Though he usually doesn’t surprise us… I wonder what’s up.”  
  
Wash frowned as well, letting his gaze drift to where York was leaning against the edge of a table, listening as Delta spoke with a frown. The young man was worrying his hands in the ends of his dark hair, shaking his head as he spoke. That couldn’t be good. “And Delta is his…?”   
  
“Brother. One the older one’s Theta’s got.”   
  
“One of them?” Wash looked back to her, leaning back against the arm of the couch. Connie’s lips twisted in an amused little smirk.

“There’s eight of them.” She laughed as Wash’s eyes went wide. “Yeah, I know. Big family. They’re very close too. Delta and the oldest few basically raised the younger ones.”

“No parents?”  
  
“None that any of them will talk about.” Connie ran a hand through her hair, seeming to think carefully to make sure she had the details right before continuing. “There’s Omega, he’s the oldest. Bit of a temper, but he’s a good guy. Would do anything for the others. You met Delta, and he’s pretty great all around, wound a little tight sometimes though. After him is Epsilon, who I’ve only met a few times. He’s kind of sarcastic, like to almost absolute asshole levels, but he’s got a wicked sense of humor and it’s clear just by looking at him that he loves his family. Then there’s Sigma and well… he’s Sigma.” She laughs, shaking her head. “He likes to push people’s buttons, just to see the reaction and he's kind of the classic middle child with the way he needles his brothers, Delta especially. After him there’s Gamma, he’s just fourteen. Kind of a quiet kid, likes to keep to himself, really smart though, and really gifted with computers and tech. Then comes Theta,who is the walking ball of sunshine as you can clearly see, and the twins, Eta and Iota. They're the cutest little things and it's hard not to fall in love with them. All in all they’re good kids.”

“They seem like it. “ Wash ran a hand through his hair, straightening up a bit as he noticed York walking back over with Delta. There was a hard look in his eyes, a frown set firmly on his lips. Delta just looked drained.

“We have a problem.” York wasted no time, one hand curled protectively around Delta’s slim shoulders. Connie looked to the pair with a small frown.   
  
“What’s up?” She asked, her brow creasing. Delta sighed, meeting their questioning gazes with tired eyes and a worried lilt to the frown on his lips.   
  
“Epsilon’s gone missing.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the introduction the Ai siblings.

“Missing?” Connie was at full attention, her eyes sharp and bright. Wash just stayed quiet at her side, listening and watching Delta. He couldn’t help but note how much younger Delta looked now that he was seeing him up close. “How long? What happened, D?”  
  
“It’s… been about a week now,” Delta sighs quietly.  
  
“A week?” Wash is speaking before he realizes he’d intended to do so. “That’s a bit long to let someone go missing with no action.”

“Epsilon has a tendency to get bored and wander off for days at a time,” Delta’s fingers, long and thin, curl in the ends of his neat ponytail. “He’s twenty, after all, and quite stuck by circumstance in the city. For him to ditch his classes for a few days and not sleep at home really isn’t out of his normal behavior patterns.”  
  
“But…?”  
  
“But,” Delta meets Wash’s gaze with those stunningly green eyes of his, “He always calls home. And he always picks up his phone and answers messages. It’s the agreement we all came to the first time he felt restless and took off.” It seems to hit Delta that they’ve never met before. His brow furrows, glasses slipping a bit down his nose. “I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t believe I caught your name…”

“D, this is Wash. Also known as Recovery,” York supplies with a smile. “His job is to keep us out of trouble. Bit like a babysitter, we've mentioned him before.”  
  
“Babysitter?” Wash arches an eyebrow at him, getting to his feet. “I’ll keep that in mind next time you get caught in a firefight then Thief.” York laughs and throws Wash a wink, causing the blond to simply roll his eyes, focusing back in on Delta, offering him a hand in greeting. “I’m sure you already know this, but ignore him.”  
  
“Pleasure to meet you,” Delta offers with a small smile, proving that he did indeed know better, not even sparing York a glance as he shook Wash’s hand. “I do wish it was under better circumstances.”  
  
“Likewise,” Wash smiles back at him in return, small and it quickly shifts back to something more serious at that reminder. He glances back down to Connie, who’s been typing away at her handheld furiously for the last few moments. “Speaking of the circumstances… tell us more about your brother?”  
  
“Epsilon, yes,” Delta seems to deflate immediately. York sighs, hooking an arm companionably around the younger man’s shoulders. “I… I’m honestly at a loss as to what to do. Omega and I have been doing all we can not to let the others worry, but even the twins have started asking when he’s coming back and…And I just don’t have an answer for them.”  
  
“We’ll help find him D,” York says firmly, looking to Wash, the question silent, but clear in his eyes. Wash nods in agreement and he swears you could just watch the tension seep out of Delta’s shoulders.   
  
“Already shot Florida a message,” Connie chimes in, finally looking up from handheld. “He’s getting in from a job later today and said he’d shoot a few feelers out for us, and I’ll get my own in the system. Between the two of us, we should have something within the next few days.”  
  
“I… really?” Delta blinks in surprised. “So fast? That’s… astounding! How did—”  
  
“Delta, I’m going to save you a headache and some nightmares by stopping you right there,” Wash waves a hand in the air, rolling his eyes as Connie just smirks, content and delighted with the awe on Delta’s face. “It’s better you don’t know.”  
  
“Connie is like, scary good at what she does,” York grins. “And Florida… Florida is just good at being scary.”  
  
“Butch is not scary,” Connie rolls her eyes. “He’s the best at what he does. His methods are just… eclectic.”  
  
“Connie. Connie, no,” Wash sighs, shaking his head. “Just… no.”

“Don’t use weird vocabulary to try and make what he does better,” York rolls his eyes before looking to Delta. “I’m with Wash, you so don’t want to know. All you do need to know, is that with both of them working their talents, we’ll definitely get a handle on where Epsilon is in no time.”  
  
That, at least set Delta at a bit more ease.   
  
“Thank you so much,” He smiles tiredly at them all. “Honestly, I… I didn’t know who else to turn to. You’ve all done so much for Theta and the twins and our family in general already and I hate to bother you when I know you’re so busy but—- God, I cannot thank you enough.”  
  
“D, seriously, we’re happy to help,” York reassures him.  
  
“We’ll find him,” Wash smiles at the young man, while Connie just nods, pushing to her feet and swiftly moving to curl a hand around York’s wrist.   
  
“Speaking of, come on Thief. Let’s pool our contacts and get started. Give D and Wash a chance to get to know each other better.” If York wanted to protest, she didn’t give him time to, dragging him off with a yelp and an “Ow! Connie!”  
  
“She’s… quite strong for her size,” Delta muses with a small smile and an almost fond shake of his head. “I’ve known her for years now, you think I’d learn to expect the unexpected with this lot.”  
  
“At the very least you don’t seem surprised. That’s good, it’s the first way to handle all the madness,” Wash smiles at him. “I’ve known them for years and I’ve only recently signed on full time. There is a reason for that.”  
  
“Regardless of the insanity, they do all grow on you. They’ve been an amazing group of people to know,” Delta smiles at Wash, brushing some hair loose from his ponytail back behind his ear. Wash notices that Delta really is quite striking, all calm elegance, like someone had carefully sculpted each line of his features.

Before either of them could move to continue the conversation, there was an excited giggle from across the room and a high pitched cry of “Lina!”

Wash looks over to the noise and can’t help but grin. Carolina had entered the room, hair tied back, looking flushed and fresh from training. She was laughing, outright grinning as she knelt down, opening her arms just as Eta ran at her for a hug. Iota followed soon after with a wide grin, just as excited, though still much quieter than his sister. Theta’s laughed chorused through the room cheerfully.

Carolina looked so happy and relaxed, hugging both of the little ones to her. Wash arched an eyebrow, amused and surprised as she dropped kisses to their foreheads.

"The twins adore her," Delta muses from beside him with a smile. "Always have. None of us are quite sure why. But she sure seems quite taken with them both as well so it all works out quite nicely."

"She’s a surrogate mother figure for them," Wash blinks in surprise as Sigma’s voice cuts in, being the only notice of the teen’s approach from one of the side halls. "Only one they’ve ever known. Aside from Delta that is." His smirk is just fantastically smug.

"Sigma," Delta greets with a sigh. "Done causing trouble, I see." Wash manages to suppress his surprise at the clear stiffness between the brothers that seemed to appear from nowhere.

"For now," Sigma’s smirk seems to only grow. "I had quite a lovely… conversation with Maine."

Delta’s shoulders went tense. Wash blinks again. Maine? What? What the hell did the big guy have to do with anything?

"Sigma," Delta starts, voice as sharp as Wash had heard it yet, making him instantly think of the crack of a pistol going off in the dead quiet of a room. Whatever the boy with the green eyes was about to say was lost at another delighted laugh from Theta across the room that drew all of their attentions.

Speaking of the big guy…

Maine had the gentlest smile on his lips that Wash had ever seen as he walked in the room. The prompt of Theta’s laugh seemed to be the reappearance of South with Maine in tow, and now the big guy had his attention focused in on the twins.

Eta had broken away from where her brother seemed content to snuggle in Carolina’s embrace, and had gone to Maine with a wide smile.

Maine scooped the child into his arms, dwarfing her already minuscule size. Wash chuckles softly as Eta’s hands immediately tangled in the chain of his collar.

"Just adorable," Sigma comments lightly. Wash glances to him, meeting those shocking red eyes. He looked quickly away, almost  feeling unsettled under those eyes, choosing to focus in on Delta instead.

He blinks in surprise as he catches a glimpse of Delta, watching Maine with Eta. He found the young man with a soft smile and a tenderness to his eyes that Wash recognized in how he would often catch himself staring at York or North sometimes.

_Lovestruck._

"Delta’s got a crush,” Sigma singsongs, voice clearly leaning more toward mocking than playfulness that you would usually expect from brothers, with a sour edge that made Wash frown inwardly.

"Sigma, don’t." There was that sharp voice again, crack of a whip, with a flash of green that seemed to burn.

"Just an observation, bro," Sigma smirks, crossing his arms over his chest, looking away from Maine himself.

"An unwelcome and unnecessary one," Delta glares at Sigma from over the rim of his glasses.   
  
“An obvious one. You really don’t hide it well. Mooning after him the way you do, I bet even Recovery here can fucking see it, can’t you dude?” Sigma turns those unsettling eyes on him and Wash meets them evenly.  
  
“You really don’t want my opinion right now,” Wash crosses his arms. “I just halfway met you and I really don’t feel like offending anyone today. It’s my day off, I so don’t need to be making enemies.”  
  
“Ugh God,” Sigma rolls his eyes. “You’re just like all the rest of them. Fucking mercs. Can never get a straight answer out of any of you.”

"Stop it! You’re being rude!” Delta sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m so sorry for him, Wash.”

“Don’t fucking apologize for me!” Sigma glares at his brother. “You’re not my mother Delta! You’re barely two years older than me, would you stop treating me like a child?!”  
  
“Well maybe if you didn’t act like it—!”  
  
“I guess it’s just that middle child syndrome that you’re always bitching to Omega about. Like his disapproving big brother stare and the “scary” voice is going to do anything when it comes to me,” The smile that accompanies this is more of a smirk for all that it seemed sweet.

“The fact that Theta is more mature than you should be an indicator that your behavior needs to change, wouldn’t you think Sigma?” Delta’s tone has gone positively chilly. Sigma doesn’t really seem to care. He merely shrugs and runs a hand through his hair before striding off without a word, heading toward Maine, who was still snuggling Eta in his arms as she played with the chain on his collar.

Delta’s fists clench tightly and he flushes red. Wash clears his throat hesitantly, making the younger man jump to attention, flushing more, in clear embarrassment this time.   
  
“I’m… so sorry. I try my hardest not to bicker with any of my siblings outside of the house, but Sigma…” Delta frowns, shaking his head. “Well as you can tell, we have our issues.”  
  
“No judgement here,” Wash reassures him, looking back out to where Carolina had taking to sitting cross legged on the floor, listening to Iota tell her something with a smile, as soft and gentle as before. She brushes curls off the boys face, nodding along with his story, whatever it might be. “Living here at the base can get like that sometimes. We’re all just big kids with lots of dangerous toys and we like to pull each other’s pigtails when we’re bored.”  
  
“Is that why York gets on so well with my younger siblings?” Delta smiles, small and tentative, but he’s clearly already relaxing, his gaze focused pointedly away from Maine and Sigma, who weren’t doing anything but talking.   
  
“Yeah, he’s the one who’s running around pulling on everyone’s pigtails if you couldn’t imagine that already,” Wash laughs, shaking his head. “Half the time it’s just Carolina’s, but North and I get a lot of it as well.” For different reasons, but Delta didn’t need to know about that just yet.  
  
“York is… an interesting person, that’s for sure,” Delta chuckles. “And an amazing friend. I… I was unsure of whether or not you all would agree to help us, with Epsilon. But I knew that York would.”  
  
“We’re happy to help, and we’re going to find him,” Wash reassures Delta gently. “We’re going to bring your brother back, okay? Epsilon will be back with you in no time.” Delta smiles back at him in response and there’s a silent gratitude in his eyes that really makes Wash hope that he isn’t lying.   
  
But hey, he’s Recovery. He pulls the other mercs asses out of the fire all the time. He’s pretty damn sure he can do the same for this Epsilon kid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in the open timeline with the GFH AU that churbooseanon and I have been building aimlessly together.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in the open timeline with the GFH AU that churbooseanon and I have been building aimlessly together.


End file.
